


Baptized in Data

by TheatricalAssassin



Category: Max Steel (TV 2013)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overwrite AU, Possession, Season 2 spoilers, Serious Injuries, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-09-12 22:18:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9092926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatricalAssassin/pseuds/TheatricalAssassin
Summary: They used to liken their life, their link, to piloting a Jaeger. In a constant drift with each other moving and fighting and living together as one and at the same time two. They always went into battle together, but this time only one of them really left it and unscathed was not it. This time the damage was so great, there wasn't anything of Max to save, he breathes yes but he isn't there, not anymore.





	1. And Then There Was One

**Author's Note:**

> This is right at Ultralink Invasion at the start of S2

Fighting, fighting was easy, fighting is what they did every day of their lives. To duck and weave through the attacks and weather the ones that make it through. The duo moved together as one, the sound of metal clashing fills the air as once again they fight fight for their lives through an Ultralink attack. Battalion after battalions of the machines descended upon the city like a plague, linking with vehicles, weapons, even people building the army. To absorb and expand.Makino isn't here yet, but from the way the Ultralinks pulled no punched and pulled out all the stops you'd think that he was right there. 

The Ultralinks that linked with inanimate objects are simultaneously the worst and the best to deal with. The advantage of dealing with them vs the ones linked to people is that Max and Steel both felt that they didn't need to hold back, not any more than they usually did mind you, but when linked with a  _ person _ however that's when things get messy. Ultralinks linked to objects were treated on a “dead or alive” kind of treatment, capturing them is nice but not a necessity. Ultralinks that thought a person has a high weapon potential? They are to be captured alive no matter what, if alive then maybe the host can be saved and return to their family. It's high risk, but if even one person could be saved it would be worth trying.

Blaster in hand Max continued to shoot down the large Ultralinks, or “tank-links” as he's taken to calling them due to the fact the most are either rocks or actual literal tanks that they made stand up. He held it up carefully aiming and in perfect sync Steel targeted the glowing orb on the monsters. Turbo energy rushed through the blaster and the ball of plasma rocketed squarely into the exposed form of the Ultralink. 

“Boom! Headshot!” Max yelled excitement in his voice 

“Looks like we're one to one huh Max?” Steel responded competitively 

Max blasted three more Ultralinks in a rapid fire manner “Oh I wouldn't know about that.” He replied playfully

They both know that they shouldn't do this on the battlefield, it's not a game and they know it. It doesn't change the fact they couldn't stop, nothing had ever shown that they should. Banter had saved their lives on more than one occasion, such as when Toxzon had them backed into a corner and “arguing” about who gets a last request and which one goes first got them  _ out _ of that corner and into a position where they could fight back and not get a gruesome end by way of toxic waste.

An ultralink stomped its way towards them, the tank’s metal creating small cracks in the ground. The two hadn’t noticed it yet, there were others in front of them. They are outgunned, outmanned, outplanned, but they’re going to make an all out stand. There’s no other choice, it’s not just their lives that ride on this battle this time. 

The blaster is running hot and there is no intent to let it have a moment to cool, running and running Max moved through the rubble with all the grace of a Warboy on Ice and that would be the moment that he knew,

He fucked up. 

A white and green claw swiped at them. The surprise attack gave the large ultralink the advantage, its talons dug deep into Max’s back rending his flesh. His scream pierced the air, but none heard him, not in time. The rage of gunfire and mechanical roars muffling and blending all sound into an indistinguishable flurry of noise. Laughing this was the moment that Lord Makino was going to praise them for, the abominations would perish here. Bright red blood staining the white and blue armor, pieces of bone sticking out from the armor, his arms managed. 

Steel desperately fired shots at the much larger link. Each one seemed to do nothing. He tried to get it’s attention, fly in and shoot close, fly away and shoot behind. Provoke, evade, save him. 

It gripped Max’s shoulder so tightly that the bones crumbled under it’s hand. It pulled him over onto his back, Max weakly raised his hand against it hitting it’s fist -but it did nothing- raising it’s claw high it plunged it’s metal talons into his chest. Bright red blood running down his sides. With it’s other hand it smiled, knowing that it did it’s master proud. 

The motion was so fast, one moment the helmet is in perfect condition if only a little dirty, as it connects with the helmet ripping the metal from him and tearing into his flesh an N-Tek jeep ran it down. Steel narrowly avoiding it and the body of the ultralink. 

Max’s body falls to the ground limply, more red than anyone would have ever wished covered his armor. He is fading, fast. Swooping in Steel slammed himself into Max’s frame. Immediately he started to channel the TURBO energy to create enough of synthetic muscle tissue and bone to close the wounds. It wouldn’t be much but it was going to have to be enough. 

<Max please, please wake up, please say something...> Steel pleaded <Anything.>

A pair of N-Tek agents ran to them, their words becoming a part of the indistinguishable flurry of noise. The world moves in a blurr as Steel concentrates all his efforts on making sure that Max can survive this trip. His breathing haggard, Steel fighting all he could to make sure that his host  _ could _ breath, fighting to keep the blood out of his lungs, fighting to make sure he didn’t drown on the way to help. 

Every twitch, every fidget, he could feel every movement as if it were his own. His, their, heart pounding but it was only by Steel’s will that it continues to beat at all. Every gasping breath, Max reaches out to him, no words over the link. Just concepts, thoughts unable to put into language. Fear stood out, the ultralink wasn’t sure if Max had ever been this scared before. Steel reached back to comfort him.

<It’s okay Max, N-Tek’s got us, we’re gonna make it.> Steel said gently <N-Tek’s gonna fix you up, it’s not as bad as you look, I promise.>

Steel if only for this moment, wishes he could cry. He doesn’t know what he can say this time. What is there to say? It’s not like the other times when everything has gone wrong, it’s not like the other times when he’s gotten hurt. Here the fight hasn’t ended, and if they don’t hurry it could end too soon. 

“Steel!” One of the agents shouted “You need to keep him awake, if he falls unconscious we might lose him! Can you do that?”

“Yes, yes yes I-I-I I got this, no problem” He stammered “I’ll keep him awake” 

Turning his attention to Max, and the familiar fading feeling, the feeling that under normal circumstances just means that Max is going to sleep, but these are not normal circumstances. 

<Ok Max come on, please I  _ need _ you to respond to me> Steel begged <Answer this question: Who wrote the score for the Star Wars?>

Painfully thought came into play, words began to form <John Williams> he breathed

<Ok next one: Who played Captain Kirk in the pilot episode of Star Trek?> Steel said, hoping that he did actually know this one

<Jeffrey Hunter... he was Captain Pike.> he responded tiredly 

They continued this until the jumpjet touched down. The medical team flew in, everything was rush rush rush. Doctors trying to get vitals off of Max. Medicine being readied, Steel hadn’t even noticed that they’d managed to get into the OR already. He unlinked from Max to see what was going on, when one of the agents dressed in surgical gowns got his attention

“Steel, we need-” the surgeon started

“No! I can’t leave him!” Steel yelled “I can’t leave him, he needs me!” 

“We know, we know, that’s why you aren’t going to be far Steel.” she asserted “You’re going to see everything but you can’t be  _ in  _ the room until we call for you. Do you understand?”

Years passed between the moments the words left her lips and Steel finished processing them, he looked at Max, already being hooked up to equipment that is sure to save his life, he had a bad feeling but he wasn’t sure whose feeling it was he had. His or Max’s.

“I understand.” 

The wait is the most painful part, no scratch that, the silence is the most painful part. If Max were awake, if he were here, the wait wouldn’t be so bad. It’s been only an hour and Steel isn’t ready to hear the news. He’s watching Max’s vitals intently as Forge stands by his side, watching the surgery just as he is. There would be time for anger later because right now, with the one person in this universe who genuinely cares about him has their life in the balance. There wasn’t any room to be angry at Forge today, not when they’re trying to put Max back together. 

A long gash went down the length of Max’s face, from a distance it didn’t look too bad but Steel knew better. It was too deep, Max was barely able to respond telepathically. He wish he knew what was going on but it is all he can do to stay right. here. Distractions in this situation would be dangerous. Maybe when Max is okay, they can cry about it together. This was too close and it can’t be repeated ever again. 

“How are you holding up?” Forge said, defeated

“What?” Steel asked 

“How are you holding up?” He repeated “Do you need to see someone? Or... If this goes south, is there anything you want me to do.” 

“Right now” Steel started “I just want Max to live, I just want him to be okay, I can’t lose him not like this, not here, not now” 

Forge guided the distressed ultralink into a hug “I can’t lose him either, I can’t, I can’t believe I let this happen twice. First my brother-in-law, and now my nephew. It’s all my fault.” 

“He’ll be okay, he’s always okay” Steel’s words were hollow, he didn’t quite believe it himself.

 

He’s always okay


	2. Whiplash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything happened so much, it was all so fast, and unreal and blurry. Like it was all just a bad dream. 
> 
> Now everything has slowed to a crawl, time no longer passes, and every detail is in sharp 7680p resolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That only took three million years, sorry about that. Stuff happened and at least I'm getting this out now. I don't have a planned amount of chapters but we'll just see how it goes. I'm mostly eyeballing it and feeling it out.

Six hours, six hours it took for them to stabilize him. One of them even congratulated Steel when it was all said and done, “if it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t have made it here.” Sure that seemed like a nice deal but it didn’t really show, not to Steel. He looked at Max’s vitals hoping that there’d be something, anything, to show that he was going to be okay. The only thing he was seeing was the same thing that the doctors had told him before he was given the all clear to recharge; that he was stable and the healing could begin. 

The silence, the silence of it all is what hurts the most. The fact that there’s just nothing coming from Max is what struck Steel. He stared at his friend’s motionless form, tubes went everywhere, Steel had to alter the Steel Suit  _ tremendously  _ in order for them to be able to hook it all up to him. Thankfully Max generates energy slower while he's asleep, so there doesn't run  _ that  _ high of a risk of overclocking the turbo dampeners. For every square inch of bare skin that had to be exposed Steel had to double down on every square inch that wasn't, an effort he hopes isn't in vain. 

Sometimes a nurse would come in to check on things. Every time the door slide and Steel looked at them entering the room they’d quickly look away. Sometimes they’d mumble a greeting, sometimes not. They always came in on a regular schedule, come in and fiddle with something, mark it down somewhere so the others know that things have been fiddled with, and move on to other patients. This time someone else came in, a familiar face that -before today- always had a smile on it even the most dire of times. This was one of those times, and if anything it looked like he’s been crying. 

“Morning Jefferson” Steel mumbled 

“Mornin’ Steel,” there was a slight pause “I know you aren’t holding up good, so I thought maybe you could come join me for something nice.”

“I... I can’t leave.” Disbelief echoed through Steel’s voice modulator “I can’t leave Max’s side”

“I know I know,” Jefferson started holding his hands up defensively “I also know that you got a area of effect right?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Steel asked, looking back at Max’s (hopefully) sleeping form

“It means, as long as we don’t leave the base, you can still hear Max talk to you if he were to say something right?” A tired smile started to creep onto Jefferson’s face. “If Max were to wake up, you’d be the first to know, right?” 

Steel stared at him for a moment, on the one hand he knew that Jefferson was right. The first person to know that Max is okay would be him. On the other hand... him hovering over Max’s body wasn’t going to make him wake up any faster 

“Okay” he said “What do you have in mind?”   


The two went down the corridor with a newfound sense of purpose, Jefferson with his plan and Steel actually eager to see what was going to happen. Without all his armor, Jefferson looked about half his size, by no means does this mean that he isn’t jacked; he most certainly is. He moved very stiffly, given the battle that had taken place yesterday it wasn’t much of a surprise, the man was probably sore in more ways than one. It also wasn’t without the possibility that he got hurt, N-Tek did have some “bleeding edge” technology as Forge put it. 

They rounded a corner and Steel realized that they were nearing the Officer’s Quarters. It wasn’t uncommon for N-Tek personnel to make their rooms their home, and given the situation it looked like this was going to be home for a very long time. Jefferson stopped in front of a door and put his hand on the scanner, after a moment it beeped and the door slid open to reveal his quarters. The room was very spartan in nature but it still has some choice characteristics of Jefferson, for example the Standard Issue computer that N-Tek gives to it’s agents in their personal quarters was also covered in gaming merch, it even had stickers from the Max Steel game that was made some of which were a pre-order bonus. There was a mini-fridge next to his desk in the corner and on the other side of it was a bookshelf full of hardback comic book anthologies, as well as scifi and fantasy novels.

“Okay Steel” He said with a sudden pep in his step “You ready for this?”

“I’m ready if you are” Steel responded curiously 

Jefferson smiled and picked up a remote and turned on the TV on the opposite wall and then he realized, Jefferson had a marathon of old super hero cartoons. The ones that only aired late at night towards 3am. At first, Steel was awash with emotion, touched that Jefferson thought to take him away from the scene that is Max’s room. That someone remembered him. 

“I thought you might like it!” Jefferson smiled “I found out that YouTube had all these available for streaming so I went ahead and bought them.”

And then he remembered. He remembered Max watching the show with him when they got back from, the sleepless nights where they’d just watch that instead of trying to sleep before class. He pulled his arms in on himself, the weight of everything coming back in a wash of grief. Jefferson sat down on his bed and waved him over. 

“Hey man, I know this whole thing with Max it’s... it’s hard.” He looked dissatisfied with this statement “I know he’s more than a brother to you, I know how you two are with each other. I know it’s because you’re in each others heads like you are but, it’s hard to miss that you two really do care for each other.” There was a pause, Steel stared uncomfortably at Jefferson “Just, don’t keep it all in man. We’re all scared, we don’t want to lose Max... we don't’ want to lose  _ you _ .” 

The Ultralink was quiet, at a loss for words, he didn’t get to see the concerned version of Jefferson often. Then again, normally nothing ever got this bad. Before yesterday the worst that ever happened was that someone managed to break a bone, and it wasn’t very hard for Steel to be able to patch that up and make it look like nothing out of the ordinary happened so that no one would question it. Keeping up the facade was the important thing. 

“I think that he’ll be okay,” Steel said finally “Since they were able to put him back together so quickly and...” He trailed off for a moment, not sure if he should finish that thought “And no one has said anything about finding some other source of Turbo Energy, or even a new host. That makes me think that, despite all my worrying, medical has everything figured out for recovery.”

“Yea that’s right, the best thing we can do for Max right now, is just stay out of the way. So, you wanna get on this show?” Jefferson said smiling  

“Absolutely” Steel flow over and claimed his spot on Jefferson’s pillow. 

In moments the two were laughing at the absurdity of the cartoon, how the most random things were the solution to the hero’s problems. Humor that has aged but at the same time is still just as hilarious, but not for the same reasons. The animation was absolutely nothing to write home about, while it looks about standard for the time there’s a few episodes that are just choice watches due to multiple noticeable animation errors. Pallet swaps on the fly, two characters who are otherwise distinguishable through their coloration look exactly the same, somehow everything going wrong in a shot. All this on top of the nonsense of the time. Jefferson was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe and if Steel was about to short out his vocalizer if he kept laughing just as hard. 

They burned through the first season and just as Jefferson went to start the next, his communicator started beeping. He looked at it, his pleasant demeanor changing immediately to that of his Work Face. He answered it and all Steel could get from it was his responses, “yes” “I understand” “yes sir”, the actual call had been on one of N-Tek’s encrypted lines. Steel knew whatever it was, they didn’t want him to know about it. 

Jefferson turned to look at him apologetically, “Sorry Steel, duty calls”

“Go,” Steel said “We can always finish this later.”

Shooting finger guns Jefferson assured him that it was a promise, and he tore off towards the War Room. Steel on the other hand, decided that moping around isn’t helping. In fact it was the farthest thing from helping. Ultralinks are still out there, and they’re still ready for attack. The Ultralink that did this, is still out there. It’s probably celebrating its “victory” over N-Tek, taking out one of the strongest agents. Now isn’t the time for grief, grief can wait, right now it’s time to get some N-Tel from N-Tek. 

Steel searched around the room, there was likely a vent or some kind of air duct for him to use. There’s no way he’s about to try to get into Jefferson's computer, he trusts him and Steel just couldn’t bring himself to do that to Jefferson. Forge, on the other hand, was a different story. He managed to find one between the desk and the bed, getting it off was child’s play. Carefully he unscrewed the screws and laid the grate down against the floor as to not make any noise. He then picked up all the loose screws and put them on Jefferson’s desk where they wouldn’t roll off and get lost. After that it’s all smooth sailing to Forge’s office. Ducking and weaving through the vent he eventually came upon the vent leading down into his office, thankfully Forge is  _ also  _ in the War Room. 

Blasting open the vent Steel fly down to Forge’s computer and immediately started trying to get into it. There had to be something useful that he kept on this computer somewhere. The damned thing is of course password protected, still he  _ has _ to get into it, there’s no way he’s going to sit this one out. N-Tek is good about it’s systems, Berto has gone out of his way to make sure there isn’t any security flaws that he could take advantage of, this would be particularly challenging because Steel isn’t as good at hacking as Max would like to believe. Looking through every bit of the code looking for some security flaw, some weakness to exploit, but there’s nothing. Nothing that he could do in the amount of time he has, if he had all night maybe but this is something he needs to do  _ right now _ . 

The desk, Steel closed out his display and looked through the desk, Forge had to have some files somewhere that would allude to something. He opened a manilla folder next to a tablet, it had Max’s medical reports in it, he closed the folder. The tablet, Steel thought, would have  _ much _ less security than Forge’s computer and immediately set to getting it open. The tablet is a much larger success than anything else. If only because the first thing Steel saw, was the news. An ultralink attack in Downtown Copper Canyon and he saw it. The Ultralink that nearly took Max from him, he can’t allow it to get away, not again. He’s not sitting this one out, and neither is Max. 

He flew back to ICU, back to Max, no one stopped him, no one thought anything of it. They thought it was time for them to link up, well they weren’t wrong. Steel hovered over Max’s sleeping form, the machinery keeping him alive would no longer be necessary, because he would be the first to know when Max is okay. 

“I’m sorry Max, I have to do this.” Steel said 

He ultralinked with him, he pushed his influence throughout every  _ molecule _ of Max’s being, every cell every muscle he controlled it. The surge of Turbo energy fried all the electronics near by as Steel remade the Steel Suit, something to different,  battle ready, something that no one would be able to stop. Not even Makino. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose Jefferson because we don't really get to see him as a real character very much. Imo there's not a whole lot of times when any of them get to be a real character, but Jefferson I've really only see Happy Dude Who Loves Food and Serious Soldier Mode is still mostly Happy Dude Who Loves Food. For someone who's as close to Max and Steel as he's supposed to be, the viewer gets very little of that. I wanted to see more of a friend to Steel, and someone who is worried about the boy who is probably 
> 
> All I could think about was that time Steel got obsessed with superheros and how the episode they showed looked like it was right out of the silver age. Some straight Adam West Batman shenanigans. 
> 
> I misspelled N-Tek at some point, realized that "N-Tel" sounded a lot like "intel" and saw the opportunity for a horrible pun


	3. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pain makes you do things you never thought you could do. Revenge always sounds so sweet, but is it worth what comes after?

A storm is brewing, a hellfire that Steel cannot contain, there is no delay in his actions now. He moves with purpose, a singular purpose, revenge. A maelstrom of emotions swirled within Steel, grief tinged with hate, to say that he “made his way” out of the base would be an understatement. He didn’t leisurely stroll, there was a fire in his heart. Turbo Energy arced off of him in bursts, acting as a arc welder on the walls he went past. He flew out of the hidden mountain base at speeds before he never thought he could reach, baring his teeth knowing deep in his soul that the ultralink that is responsible for this is out there. The world a blur as he came up on Copper Canyon, Ultralinks trying to make a move onto the city, to take it and it’s inhabitants for the glory of Makino. Here Steel can see that N-Tek is out in force, fighting against the ultralinks trying to take advantage of the weakened resistance. There it is, the ultralink that nearly took them out, the tank-link that took so much pleasure in tearing Max apart.

Nearly at the speed of sound Steel landed only a few feet away from the ultralink. A snarl escaping him, absolutely seething with rage that it could be standing there caring not for what it has done. That it could be standing there and he is not. Bristling with white hot ire Steel let out a whistling screech; rushing the ultralink. He slammed into the tank with a loud crash and grabbed it’s throat and took it to the ground. Without hesitation Steel plunged his talons into it, ripping parts of its armor away with each strike. The world faded away, the sound of battle softening into deathly silence. His only saw one thing, and he only wanted one thing. He felt his heart racing and he angrily tore into the ultralink, it fought back but it was no use. Steel had overpowered him.

The instant the lights faded from the monster before him, the world snapped back into place and he could hear N-Tek agents close in on him. He could still hear them through their frequencies, they think they’ve been compromised, they think he’s gone rogue. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t think this far ahead. He was angry, he couldn’t let that Ultralink live while Max...

He needed to say something, they were going to treat him like those monsters if he didn’t.

“Commander Ferris, call off your soldiers.  _ I’m not your enemy _ .” Steel radioed to Forge, uncharacteristically formal.

For a moment all he could hear was the metallic clicking of their weapons. He swallowed hard, he tensed up, knowing that with each passing second it could easily be his last. He knew what fear felt like, but he’d never felt it like this. He’d never truly felt it the way Max had. How your heart races, how it becomes hard to breathe, how every part of your being is screaming for you to do something. Anything. Yet at the same time not being able to  _ do _ anything. He’d felt fear on this level before, but never like this. It was in this moment Steel understood, that everything he felt before was just an echo from Max.

Slowly, the agents began to put their guns down. Well at least point them  _ away _ from him. He could still see that they were uneasy, this was going to be tricky. One wrong move and someone would still just as easily riddle him with bullets and call it a day.

“Steel.” Forge’s voice was beyond furious “We need to talk.”

Steel didn’t know how to respond but he did know Forge’s location, given that he was broadcasting on N-Tek’s usual channel between them and not say. One that was so encrypted you might not even be certain that there even  _ is _ a message and not just locks. He took off to find Forge. He wasn’t looking forward to this chat at all. 

Steel Knows that he was going to get yelled at. Forge was  _ famous _ for yelling so how could he not here? When arguably he’s completely justified in his anger? The Worst Case Scenario just came true. He walked into the door one hundred percent ready for a screaming match, he was so busy thinking up retorts and his own justification for his actions that he didn’t see the fist heading straight for his face. 

“How  _ dare _ you.” he growled “How  _ dare _ you do this to Max.” 

Steel looked up at him from the floor, opening his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a boot to the head

“Don’t you fucking dare speak to me. Not like that. Not with  _ his _ voice.” Steel could taste blood “How could you have even done this. I, we, thought that Max was your friend. That we could  _ trust _ you. Now I can see that you were just waiting for an opportunity to do,” he stepped on Steel’s throat “, this to him.” 

Steel could tear him to shreds. He could kill Forge right now. He’d be dead before he hit the floor. He wanted to. It took every ounce of his self-control not to. He was angry, and Forge was grieving. Forge believed that Max was dead, and that Steel killed him. 

“Forge...” Steel’s, rather Max’s, voice came out strangled “Let me explain...” 

Forge’s boot pressed harder on Steel’s throat. Fully meaning to let him know that he didn’t want to hear his nephew’s voice using Steel’s words. 

“I couldn’t let that ultralink get away with it...” The voice that managed to croak out sounded less like Max but clearly was still it’s base. It almost sounded like Steel was trying to sound like anyone but Max. The commander lifted his boot and Steel gasped for breath. 

Forge squatted down, not quite eye level but Steel was clearly able to see the scowl on his face. One that not so much begged for an explanation, but demanded one. 

“I couldn’t let it get away. I couldn’t let it hurt anyone else, I knew it would have gotten some kind of reward from Makino for managing to ‘take out’ the two who have been causing them the most trouble and I...” he trailed off

Before walking in here, Steel had a whole explanation planned. He had a story, he was going to talk about  _ everything  _ leading up to his decision to do this but now that he’s actually here? He... couldn’t. His thoughts were racing as it finally caught up to him what he actually did and he didn’t know if he was going to be okay with this. 

“I didn’t want Max to get hurt... and as far as I can tell... nothing is changed...” 

Forge’s expression twisted back into rage 

“Nothing has changed?! Steel do you understand that we had  _ no actual idea  _ that the ultralink fighting it’s own kind was  **_you_ ** ?! We didn’t know what to think, because you  _ do not look like you always have _ .” He bellowed “If I didn’t know that it was you, that if you hadn’t contacted me on a secure channel that no ultralink could have had,  _ that if I didn’t hear  _ **_Max’s_ ** _ voice _ .” 

He didn’t seem to need to go on. What would have happened was clear. Steel slowly began to stand, he let Forge get his anger out so if he struck him again, he wasn’t going to tolerate it. However he wasn’t going to incite it. Steel still needed N-Tek, he needed them because Max needed them. He couldn’t go off burning their bridges because of his stupid mistake.  But Forge did bring a good point to the table. No one recognized him. Today Steel faced the spectre of death and if he had thought about it for more than a second, had he not let his emotions overwhelm him, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. 

Not that it mattered anymore, he made his mistake and now he has to live with it. The consequences are his alone to bear and he only hopes that Max can find it somewhere in his heart to forgive him for what he did. In the immediate future, he was going to have to make some visual changes. It wouldn’t matter much as far as practicality went, it just would ensure that he wouldn’t be mistakenly shot. For Steel this would be easy, it was like changing the appearance of modes like normal, except Max wasn’t here to weigh in. He should be able to make it look like well nothing has changed. 

At that same time, he doesn’t want to. 

He doesn’t want to because the thought of waking up in the morning to see his friend’s face in the mirror, it made his blood run cold. Steel didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to think about any of it. He didn’t want to make all of it worse. 

He left the Forge’s office. He was sore, tired, and emotionally drained. Now he really knew how Max felt after battles like that. Steel had the  _ slightest _ feeling that going home would be a bad idea. Molly was the best, better than Forge, and he wasn’t looking forward to her finding out about this. Given that Max was still in critical condition it was probably best that he actually not go very far from the medical bay at all. Hopefully the room they were using was still open, if not he might have to get creative with where he slept tonight. He tapped his thumb against his fingers, he was feeling a certain way and he couldn’t quite articulate what. He knew he was blocking the pain Max’s body was in to be able to do what he did today. Perhaps he owed it to Max to actually feel it. 

Steel took a deep breath and instantly he regretted every life choice that ever led him to this very situation. It was like chain lightning through his chest as he struggled to breath, leaning against the wall for support. He could feel tears coming down his cheeks as he stood upright once again, the pain just as strong as when he began to allow himself to feel it. Now he  _ really _ knew how Max felt after battles like that. 

It would be wise to get this looked at. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was honestly a challenge to write because I was fighting mental illness every step of the way and I'd beat one symptom and be ready to write and then another would take it's place right after like "hello i am here" and then falcon punch my ass into the stratosphere and i end up laying face first on the floor for a few hours. It was a boss battle with infinite phases
> 
> I just wanted to get an update _out_ hoping that it'll encourage me to you know... actually be able to write something.

**Author's Note:**

> So in this AU Max and Steel actually sustain damage enough to (maybe permanently) remove Max from the equation as far as the link is concerned. In order to survive and keep the ultralinks from destroying the planet Steel had to make the tough call to just, overwrite Max to keep fighting. 
> 
> Physically speaking once all the injuries are healed things work fine, but head injuries are a tricky thing and healing from those take a lot _longer_ and depending on what it is and how bad it is there's a chance that recovery is something that can never happen-especially if you take into account that with Steel taking the wheel full-time instead of sharing it- recovery from said injury is likely to take longer than it would if he just came by every 7 hours to get a jump so to speak.
> 
> I have no idea where I'm going with this but it's going to be a wild ride. Feedback is always appreciated!


End file.
